[PRP] Can't Stay to Chat (Cheshire & Zevran)

[Kitomyx]

Rocket Cheshire had only just been promoted to grunt which, to their great disappointment, meant less action regarding physical training and more time for chores. If they were ever going to get any field assignments, it wasn’t likely to be for a long time, but that wasn’t about to stop them. As far as they knew, there weren’t any rules about going out as a Rocket and attempting to steal pokemon on their off-duty time, so long as they didn’t get caught.

Once they had finished all their chores, the masked grunt gathered their things and headed into Camphoreon City. With as crowded as that bustling metropolis tended to be, it would have been fairly easy to find a good target, to make an impact on a larger scale of people, and to escape into the throng of people when necessary. Even those watching the crime being committed tended to get caught up in the diffusion of responsibility, so the chances of someone interfering weren’t high when lots of people were around. Also, since the city was so big with its own share of crime, the law enforcement there wasn’t likely to be able to come to stop them in time. It was an ideal place to go steal a pokemon in the name of the organization.

Thus it wasn’t long before a 5’7” individual in a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a hooded jacket zipped up high enough to hover their nose and mouth made their way along Camphoreon’s streets. Their hands were kept in their pockets and they may have looked absurdly suspicious, but that was exactly what Cheshire had been counting on.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran tended to look absurdly suspicious just by existing, but that’s what you get for having tattoos on your face.

The day was pleasant, chilly for his tastes but his leather jacket warded it off acceptably as he strolled down the street with a Butterfree hanging onto one shoulder and a Growlithe trotting at his heel. “What do you think for tonight, tacos?” he mused partly to himself, partly to the two pokemon. “We had them recently but they are always popular. Perhaps something with shellfish?”

As he pondered these and other possibilities habit kept Zevran’s keen amber eyes on the move, cities were full of interesting people! Sometimes those interesting people wanted to do interesting, uncomfortable things to you for one reason or another. Camphoreon was hardly the most dangerous city he had ever visited but old habits died hard, which was handy because so far it had kept him from dying… well, just dying in general!

So it was that he noticed a figure which was practically begging to be stared at heading towards him: his own height; features obscured by cap, shades, and hoody; hands in pockets, were they holding something? Zevran grinned at the stranger as they drew near to one another and gave them a wink. “Chilly?” he quipped lightly.  

[Kitomyx]

The stranger turned their head at the voice and looked their addresser up and down. He didn’t look like KSO or law enforcement, but one never knew. Even so, he seemed to have a couple of pretty nice-looking pokemon with him and his face tattoos proved interesting. Vaguely, Cheshire wondered if the man might have been a part of some sort of gang.

They didn’t bother responding to the trainer with words, but instead withdrew a hand out of their pocket to raise it in what might have been a hello. To a certain borrowed Zoroark, however, it was a signal, and combined with Cheshire’s subsequent gesture toward the Zevran’s Butterfree, the Dark-type reached out to snatch the flying bug, flickering into view as he did so.  

[TawnyAngel]

Agh, really?

Several things happened in quick succession following Zevran’s distinctly annoyed internal query; Amigo squealed in surprise as he was grabbed and flapped his wings rapidly releasing a Stun Spore, and Clara snarled and leapt at the assailant with flames springing up around her jaws.

At the same moment as the pokemon made their moves Zevran closed the distance between himself and the hoody-clad stranger. Once close enough he made a grab for their arm, aiming to twist it around behind their back and exclaimed; “Rude!” with an incredulous little laugh.  

[Kitomyx]

Kano sneezed at the Stun Spore, wincing as he found himself temporarily paralyzed and forced to relinquish his grip on the Butterfree. The Zoroark had no way to dodge the Growlithe and could only brace themselves for the attack as best they could.

Cheshire, on the other hand, was more prepared. Once their arm was caught Zevran began to twist it, they turned in the direction of their free arm to reduce the leverage and release the pressure applied. Simultaneously, they attempted to swing their elbow back to try to strike the tattooed man. The Rocket may not have been the most skilled martial artist out there, but they knew a bit of mixed martial arts and were fairly decent at close combat. Their skills tended to focus on defending, evading, and using their opponent’s moves against them rather than attacking, however, and they didn’t want to prolong the fight if they could help it.

Turning their head toward Kano, the grunt made a particular motion with their hand to make sure the Zoroark could see. Kano appeared to get the message and did his best to bite Amigo in his jaws with the hopes that the Stun Spore wouldn’t hinder him too much.  

[TawnyAngel]

One minute you’re wondering about tacos, the next somebody is trying to spread your nose across your face with their elbow. An interesting day to be sure! Zevran deflected the blow and responded with a jab aimed at the strange-stranger’s throat. “In the middle of the street?” he asked rather incredulously.

Amigo yelped again as the Zoroark’s teeth sank into him and flailed to try to get free, now that it was paralyzed he didn’t actually have any other moves he could use on it. Clara had no such restrictions and now that she was up close and personal she followed up her fire fang attack with Close Combat.
 

[Kitomyx]

Once more, Cheshire was silent and did not answer verbally, but rather through their actions. The jab aimed at their throat was unexpected, but they were particularly wary about attacks aimed at their face and neck and, out of an instinct to avoid blows aimed at those targets, managed to throw themselves down on the ground just in time. Almost flat on their stomach with their arms bracing them, they attempted to twist around in an almost break-dance-like move to try to kick Zevran’s legs out from under him.

Freeing one hand as they re-adjusted their weight, they reached into one pocket to pull out something small and brown, tossing it at Clara to even the odds of two against one. Mika the Joltik latched on and did her best to paralyze the Growlithe with a Thunder Wave.
As practiced as Kano was with illusions, he still wasn’t all that great with stamina and after having been paralyzed as well as hit with Fire Fang and Close Combat, he was almost ready to pass out. Cheshire noticed this and knew they didn’t have much time left. They needed Kano to escape and it was going to be tricky enough with this trainer in pursuit. There was the option to leave their pokemon be, but even then, that was no guarantee they wouldn’t chase after. Shoot...They probably should have started with Mika first instead of having used Kano from the get-go.

Shoving themselves back up onto their feet, Cheshire made a sharp gesture to Kano and began to take off down a back alley. The Zoroark, still faltering but somewhat able to follow, tried to keep his grip on Amigo in his jaws, glad for the command to retreat even if that didn’t necessarily ensure their safe departure.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran cleared the strangers’ legs with a neat jump as they scythed around towards his ankles. With Clara twitching from the paralysis and the foe now retreating - with Amigo - Zevran recalled the seizing Growlithe and took off in pursuit of the would be thief.

“Hey, come back, we didn’t even say hello!” he crowed as he gave chase and though his voice was cheerful it carried an edge to it, like a razorblade concealed in candyfloss. “Come now, give him back and we can all go for coffee; doesn’t that sound like fun?” A lot more fun than what he would do if the little s**t didn’t stop running! “Or do I have to introduce you to more of my friends?” As he suggested this and continued his sprint after the strangers Zevran selected another pokeball from his belt, a sharp grin curving up his lips. He almost hoped they did keep trying to get away, the look on their face would be priceless!  

[Kitomyx]

Well, evidently this wouldn’t have been the easiest trainer to rob, and Cheshire guessed if the face tattoos had had to do with anything, that would have made sense. But that was just fine, because the grunt didn’t enjoy things being easy. Of course if he’d had better pokemon that he knew well and could coordinate with better the the pair he’d borrowed, this probably would have been more interesting, but they could work with what they had for now.

Noting the ease with which the man cleared their legs, the wild-haired grunt concluded they’d made the right decision in leaving rather than attempting to continue their little scuffle. Every so often, the glanced back to check on Kano, but also to keep an eye on the trainer. The effects of Amigo’s lingering Stun Spore was slowing the Zoroark significantly, especially with him still carrying the Butterfree, and Cheshire came to terms with the fact that they probably wouldn’t be getting away with their prize today. But that was okay because they’d gotten what they had really come for. Well, most of it. There was still a little work left to do yet.

As soon as Zevran had his hand on another pokeball, the Rocket grunt pulled off their jacket to fling behind them in an effort to hinder their pursuer, but also with the purpose of revealing their black uniform underneath emblazoned with the bright red ‘R’ of their organization. Their shades were replaced by a striped, grinning Cheshire Cat mask in a quick, slight-of-hand switch and they brought out Kano’s pokeball to return him to it, allowing Amigo to go free. That done, Cheshire turned a corner and ducked behind a dumpster in an effort to collect their bearings and catch their breath a little.

After the Growlithe had been recalled, Mika had leapt onto Kano’s fur to keep up with the others. When Kano, too, was returned, she hopped onto Cheshire's shoulder and clung there, waiting to see what they would do next.  

[TawnyAngel]

The flung jacket wasn’t a bad gambit, it slowed Zevran for the moment it took him to throw it aside out of his face and- Oh, it was like that? Rocket, he had not had the dubious pleasure of conflict with the organisation so far but the sight of the uniform prickled the back of his neck with wariness; were there more of them around? Well, he would find out soon enough probably! Planning and caution did not come naturally to Zevran and so though the uniform was a cause for mild concern he did not slow his pace.

As soon as Amigo was released Zevran recalled the mildly injured Butterfree to his pokeball, and it was then that he saw the stranger’s mask. As the kitty-faced stranger vanished around a corner into an alleyway Zevran leant against the wall at the mouth of the passage and laughed. “What is that, a calling card? I have seen them in children’s cartoons! Was that where you drew your inspiration for villainy too?” Zevran rolled the pokeball he was holding speculatively between thumb and forefinger for a few moments, perhaps it was not wise to show such a thing to a Rocket but when had he ever been wise?

Zevran activated the pokeball and a moment later a primarily white Articuno manifested at the opposite end of the alley. Zevran grinned again and stepped into the mouth of the alley on his end, releasing a deep bronze-coloured Skarmony to stand beside him as he did so.

“So! Shall we have a civilized conversation now?” he suggested cheerfully.
 

[Kitomyx]

So even with their pokemon back, they weren’t about to give up on catching the almost-thief, were they? Cheshire craned their neck back to rest their head on the brick wall, savoring the thrill of the situation and the audacity of this trainer so willing to take on a member of Team Rocket on their own. Of course he was only a grunt, and a newly-promoted one at that, but what difference would that make to a civilian who wasn’t aware of their ranks?

The man was laughing. Was that out of enjoyment or suppressed anger or just sheer confidence? Was he perhaps laughing at Cheshire’s audacity to try to steal from him? Or the fact that the grunt wore a funny mask? Whatever the reason, it intrigued Cheshire, but it was a shame they couldn’t ask. They had to focus on getting back to the base in one piece with both pokemon they had borrowed, now.

And then suddenly there was a large, white, legendary ice bird materializing at the other end of the alley. Before Cheshire could even conceive of attempting to make it past Zevran, the trainer had brought out another flying-type - this one also steel; a metal bird.

Well, damn. Now the grunt wasn’t sure if he’d picked the best or worst target to steal from. That Articuno would certainly have been a magnificent trophy to bring back, but to have to face that thing? With only two pokemon that weren’t even theirs, one of which was almost down for the count? No way; not happening.

One good thing about being part of a criminal organization was you didn’t have to worry too much about obeying the law so long as you weren’t caught. That also meant you didn’t have to play by the rules. Grabbing a loose brick on the ground nearby, Cheshire threw it at a window just above where they were sitting and shattered the glass inward before attempting to kick the rest of their way through. It seemed to open into a small clothing store and browsing customers started screaming and ducking down onto the floor.

The grunt wasted no time; they released Kano and gestured around them, hoping the injured pokemon would be able to pull off enough of an illusion for them to make their getaway. At least until they could lose their pursuer and get to the van without worry of being chased back to the base. Sure, there were the plenty of witnesses in the store, but how many were likely to try to follow them as well? Maybe call the police or KSO, but Cheshire was willing to bet that by the time either of those groups got the the scene, they’d be long gone. Provided they could shake off the tattooed trainer. If they fit through enough narrow spaces - stores and other alleys - perhaps they could avoid the Flying-types coming after them. And if Kano could provide them cover, all the better.

Realizing the direness of their circumstances, the Zoroark offered a weary smile and concentrated as best he could. He would have to take it slow, especially with paralysis still slowing him down, but as long as nothing more attacked him, he thought they could get them out of that mess. Funny how this new grunt almost seemed to have just as much a love for getting intro trouble as their real trainer. In a different manner, though. Izaya would have never been so direct in his trouble-making if he could help it.

In a few minutes, a few shoppers would bust out through the entrance of the store followed by more, fleeing whatever danger may have entered through the broken glass window. Some were creations of Kano’s own mixed with actual panicked people, but a pair of them began escaping together back toward the van. The Zoroark couldn’t move very fast, but that served their guise well since they also didn’t want to attract too much undue attention. As long as they could keep up a brisk pace, Cheshire was satisfied.  

[TawnyAngel]

He considered chasing after the stranger through the store but doing so would certainly make him a suspected participant in whatever it was the authorities thought the masked Rocket was up to. While things could probably be cleared up with honest testimony from himself, Amigo, and Clara that was only ‘probably’ and in any case would probably cause him to be late to make Abel’s dinner - that was not going to happen.

A different approach was in order then, and as screams erupted from within the store Zevran dashed down the alley to leap onto Invierno’s back. “Take us up, let us see who comes out!”

The Articuno wasted no time in following his instructions and a moment later Estoque took wing as well.

When people started pouring out of the store three pairs of keen eyes stared down and watched the movement of the crowd. There was a lot of panicked fleeing going on, they were like headless chickens but among the chaos a couple of figures were moving rather more slowly and purposefully than the rest. Zevran hummed thoughtfully to himself and directed Invierno’s attention down towards them. “Is that our cat among the hens I wonder? Watch them closely, don’t lose them.”

With that Zevran directed his attention to the rest of the crowd again, searching for any other unusual activity.  

[Kitomyx]

Kano almost looked up when he heard the flying-types overhead, but Cheshire grabbed his long snout, hoping it wouldn’t disrupt the illusion too much. They hadn’t wanted Kano’s action to draw attention to them, but the image about them flickered nevertheless. Kano carefully removed Cheshire’s hand from his muzzle and tried to check again, this time careful to keep their illusion appear as if they were simply moving forward. With how keenly the overhead group was watching, though, the Zoroark guessed they must have already suspected them and probably seen the momentary flicker. Time to try another tactic.

Kano took Cheshire carefully by the arm and pulled them into the nearest cafe, hoping that if the trainer still following decided to land to come find them, they would at least have some time to gather their bearings.  

[TawnyAngel]

Invierno cooed softly as the people flickered briefly, in their experience people didn’t do that under normal circumstances very much - it must be the Zoroark’s doing. The Articuno glanced over its shoulder, gold eyes met amber and conveyed agreement between trainer and pokemon.

The majestic legendary pokemon swept in to land before the cafe to awed gasps from some onlookers who had congregated to see what all of the running and shouting was about. Zevran smirked as he hopped to the ground and headed towards the cafe; people were essentially the same all over the world he found, they loved street theatre! Well far be it from him not to oblige.

“Hello, are you in here?” he called cheerfully as he entered the building. “Do you have a few moments to spare to discuss the condition of your immortal soul? Let in the chant of Light and even now, for all your sin, you may be spared the chill of the void!... Mmh, that probably didn’t translate too well across cultures but I am sure you get my drift!”  

[Kitomyx]

There was a pokeball’s red flash of light to withdraw a pokemon and the grunt in the Cheshire Cat mask peered from around a line of people at the counter. The attention of the cafe’s occupants seemed split between the cheerful calling of the tattooed man who had just entered and the Rocket boldly wearing the uniform of their criminal organization. There was a murmur of nervous excitement and concern, but no outbreak of full-on panic yet.

The grunt took advantage of this and grabbed a heavy-looking napkin-dispenser, flinging it at the large window by the door. Then there was more screaming and ducking. Wasting no time, the figure scrambled across tables, chairs, and crouching people to get to their newly-created exit. Perhaps the legendary bird was still out there, but it was large and perhaps not nimble enough to catch them. Especially while their trainer was still in the cafe.